Niney the Observer

Winston Holness, better known as Niney the Observer (born George Boswell, 1951, Montego Bay[1]), is a Jamaican record producer and singer who was a key figure in the creation of many classic reggaerecordings dating from the 1970s and early 1980s.

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Holness gained his nickname "Niney" after losing a thumb in a workshop accident.[1] In the latter half of the 1960s he worked as an engineer at KG records, where he began producing. His first release was his own composition "Come on Baby" issued on his Destroyer label.[1] He moved on to work with Bunny Lee in 1967, then for Lynford Anderson's studio, then working for Joe Gibbs as chief sound engineer, replacing his friend Lee "Scratch" Perry. While working for Gibbs he produced Dennis Alcapone and Lizzy's "Mr. Brown", and played a major role in launching the career of Dennis Brown.[1] After leaving Gibbs' setup, his first major success as a producer was "Blood & Fire" in December 1970, initially released in a pressing of 200 on his Destroyer label, but reissued the following year on his Observer label, and going on to sell over 30,000 copies in Jamaica.[1][2] Inspired by Perry's nickname of "The Upsetter", Holness adopted "The Observer", using the name for his new Observer label, and the name of his house band, The Observers (actually the Soul Syndicate).[1] Several singles followed, some reusing the "Blood & Fire" rhythm, including Big Youth's "Fire Bunn".